A Rare Case of Chest Wall Osteolipoma Presenting as a Paravertebral Mass

• Ayman Ben Ayed

• Mouna Nasri

• Ahmed Ben Ayed

• Hèla Ben Jmaà

  department of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery

• Mohamed Rebei

• Hafedh Daly

• Rim Karray

• Zied Chaari

• Abdessalem Hentati

Osteo-lipoma is an extremely rare hisotologic variant of conventional lipoma. While lipomas are the most common soft tissue tumors in adults, the occurrence of an osteo-lipoma in chest wall in exceedengly uncommon, and presents unique diagnostic challenges. 

We report the case of a 62-year-old male paient, who prsented with progressively enlarging right dorsal para-vertebral mass over a three-year period. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging identified a well-circumscribed, heteregneous fatty mass containing significant ossified components, located deep to the para-spinal muscles without rib or vrtebral invasion. The patient underwent a complete en-bloc surgical excision. Histo-pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a benign osteo-lipoma. After a 12-month follow-up, no recurrence or complications were observed.

Although rare, a thorough radiological and pathological correlation is essential to differentiate this benign entity from more aggressive ossifying neoplasms, such as liposarcoma or myositis ossificans. Surgical excision remains the treatment of choice.        

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